Department of English
Vanderbilt authors, works highlighted at 2020 Southern Festival of Books
Oct. 2, 2020—The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word will be held online Oct. 1-11, with Vanderbilt faculty, staff and alumni participating and three new VU Press titles spotlighted.
New faculty Major Jackson: Community through poetry
Sep. 28, 2020—Major Jackson, an accomplished poet and essayist, will join the Vanderbilt faculty as Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English in January 2021 after 18 years in the Department of English at the University of Vermont.
Writing seminar considers chivalry in the age of COVID-19
Apr. 28, 2020—Students in "King Arthur and the Literature of Chivalry," a writing seminar taught by University Librarian and Professor of English Valerie Hotchkiss, devoted recent class time to what 21st-century chivalry looks like, especially during COVID-19.
On Becoming a Writer: Robert Funke’s Showtime series is funny, angry and original
Feb. 17, 2020—On Becoming a God in Central Florida is an oddly academic-sounding title for a TV show, especially one as kinetic and funny as the Showtime series starring Kirsten Dunst that premiered in August. But as the series’ co-creator Robert Funke, BA’09, explains, the title reflects the nature of the storytelling. “There’s a little bit of...
Chancellor’s Lecture panelists Little, Pinker and Zimmer explore why divisions persist in an age of abundant data
Dec. 6, 2019—Amanda Little, Steven Pinker and Carl Zimmer joined moderator Jon Meacham for the final Chancellor’s Lecture Series of 2019. The panel discussed how expanded access to data has changed human approaches to every part of our lives.
Lifelong learners over 50 invited to sign up for Vanderbilt Osher winter classes
Nov. 26, 2019—Winter 2020 classes offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt include the history of Fort Negley, memoir writing, brain disorders and a Shakespeare production.
Little, Pinker and Zimmer to discuss global challenges at Chancellor’s Lecture
Nov. 20, 2019—Amanda Little, Steven Pinker and Carl Zimmer will discuss with moderator Jon Meacham "2020 and Beyond: Tackling Global Issues in the Decades to Come" at the Dec. 3 Chancellor's Lecture Series event.
Find Your Impact: English major mixes silly with serious in musical tackling climate change
Oct. 7, 2019—Junior Foster Swartz is pursuing his passions for writing and directing with “Global Warming: The Musical,” which will be performed Oct. 11 and 12 in Sarratt Cinema.
Expert panel to discuss past and present-day suffrage movements Oct. 7
Sep. 30, 2019—An Oct. 7 panel discussion will explore the connections between the women’s suffrage movement and current voting rights activism. The panel is free and open to the public and will take place from 4:10 to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room of E. Bronson Ingram College.
New faculty Anthony Reed: The poetics and politics of black literature
Sep. 29, 2019—Associate Professor of English Anthony Reed’s deep interest in the intersections between black literary forms and politics was sparked during the 1980s, when, as a child, he discovered hip-hop and rap music.
New faculty Emily Lordi: At the intersection of black expressive culture
Sep. 29, 2019—Black feminist scholars. Bessie Smith. James Baldwin. Beyoncé. All have been the subject of Associate Professor of English Emily Lordi’s academic and public scholarly work.
‘A Short History of Anger’ explores legacy of genocide, displacement
Sep. 5, 2019—"A Short History of Anger," centering on the devastating and lasting impact of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing and forced migration, will be performed Sept. 14 at the Blair School of Music.